Remembering 9/11

September 11, 2001-- The world was shocked by the news that the Twin Tower World Trade Center Buildings in the USA were attacked by the terrorists. Two jet planes crashed into the two buildings in a matter of hours and they crumbled down together with all those innocent victims inside it. (Watch YouTube video here).

It was a scene supposedly seen only on movies but it was real at this time. The terrorists made it real for anyone to see. The world has seen how brutal and barbaric these terrorists are, respecting no religion, no political systems, making the civilized world lame and helpless.

I was seated with my eyes glued on the screen. I couldn't believe a sane person could do such things. Even pagan or those who doesn't believe in the existence of a higher being won't do that. They still do respect human lives as something so important as they give importance to their own existence. Here's a group of terrorists, the Al Qaeda founded by Osama bin Laden, who wanted to impose strict Islamic Laws (Sharia) to all Muslims and to convert the World into a Islamic state particularly the United States of America and other western countries whose morality doesn't reflect any of its roots as believers in One God and thus religiously intolerant of other belief systems. Their extrememist views were considered by the Western civilized world as a direct opposite to any democratic societies.

Heavy setback fell to innocent Muslims living in predominantly Christian countries. Even the United States which respects every human being regardless of its religious affiliations have experienced among their neighborhood atrocities against radical Christians. It was the day when the world changed.

Seven years later, many of our modern laws concerning flights, passengers in the air, in the seas and in land had to pass strict implementation of safety rules due to the continuing threat of terrorism. In banking systems, no one can open an account without showing ample credentials and other identification cards that says all of your identity. Literally, terrorism changed the way we live with our neighbors. Everyone becomes a suspect and we treat anyone as enemy or stranger. We stopped trusting people.

In the US alone, Robert Spencer spearheaded a website particularly watching closely world events and violence done in the name of Jihad movements done by some radical Muslims particularly in Islamic countries or where Muslims are residing. (Read Jihad Watch) The power of media is now the battle ground, even terrorists use the internet to spread their violent teachings. Some use videos to counter-act the terrorists just like the video entitled "Islam: What the West Needs to Know" and the controversial Fitna Movie strongly opposed by Muslims and some non-Muslims who sympathized with their cause. This movie was boycotted in some democratic countries accusing its producers to be "anti-semitic in nature and fosters hatred against the Muslims. I didn't see the movie, maybe because it was banned in the Philippines for being too discriminatory.

The setback was very strong to minority Muslim communities in some countries (not much in the Philippines). Thanks to democracy, they were protected according to the existing constitution laws. According to democratic societies, no one should be discriminated because of his/her religious beliefs as long as it doesn't contradict any of its promulgated laws.

I don't want another hate campaign to be sown among believers particularly among Jews, Christians and Muslims. I am appealing to those who believe in ONE GOD to respect the name of God, whether his name is Yahweh, Jesus or Allah. And to those victims of 9/11 tragedy and those victims of terrorism in the world, let's unite our prayers that there would be world peace for our children to enjoy.

God bless America and the Americans on its 7th Anniversary of 9/11 and those other nationals who died during the attack. May their souls and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Amen! Shalom, Salam, Pacem!

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Picture Credit: wikipedia.org